


I placed my bet (and you came through)

by lucyisalive



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, M/M, healthy competitiveness, stupid bets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-21 17:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18145241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucyisalive/pseuds/lucyisalive
Summary: Paul and Hugh like to make stupid, meaningless bets against each other. But some wagers are more meaningful than others.





	I placed my bet (and you came through)

**Author's Note:**

> Oh look... my first fic in *checks notes* five and a half months? This isn't much, but I'm hoping it's the start of my triumphant return to fic writing! :) 
> 
> This arose out of my head-canon that Paul and Hugh are both pretty competitive, and as such they like to make bets against each other. It starts fluffy, but get's surprisingly angsty. You have been warned. 
> 
> Many thanks to @EmmaKeladry for beta-reading!

“You can’t be serious?? You must be aware of how wrong you are right now?!”

Hugh raised his eyebrows at the brusqueness of Paul’s tone. “I am _not_ wrong. I know for a fact that I am right, actually.”

“Nuh uh.”

“Yep.”

“You’re deluded. _Crazy._ ”

“Do you call all the boys crazy on the first date?” Hugh said teasingly.

Paul blinked for a moment, seemingly remembering where they were. Their discussion-turned-debate-turned-argument, while remaining at a respectable volume, had apparently attracted the attention of a few couples sitting at tables nearby, some of whom were looking at them with a less than friendly eye.

“Sorry,” Paul muttered.

“Don’t be,” Hugh said, smiling, “I like that you’re passionate.”

Paul went slightly red, but then frowned. “It’s not _technically_ our first date, really. We’ve been talking for months.”

“But this is our first time together on a _non-virtual_ date.”

“A first date is usually when you get to know someone. But we already know each other, so therefore, this is not a first date.”

“Wow, you really can’t let anything go, can you?” Hugh said fondly.

Paul dropped his eyes. “Sorry,” he mumbled again.

“Like I said, don’t be. I actually kind of agree with you about the first date thing. But you’re wrong about the Altair system.”

“I am not wrong. There are eleven planets in the Altair system. Every six-year-old knows that.”

“Wrong. Every six-year-old knows that there are _twelve_ planets in the Altair system.”

“Nope. You’re wrong.”

“Care to make it interesting?”

Paul raised his eyebrows. “How?”

“One bottle of Saurian brandy. No younger than 2236.”

“Done.”

Paul said it with such confidence that for a moment, Hugh doubted himself. But he kept his expression carefully neutral as he reached into his bag for his PADD.

He typed in the query and they both waited with baited breath for the page to load.

The answer popped up. Hugh looked at it for a fraction of a second before pushing it round to show Paul, a grin spreading across his face.

“Read it and weep, Doctor Stamets.”

 

xxx

 

An hour later found them outside a fine liquor store three streets away from the restaurant. After some good-natured grumbling from Paul about how he’d ‘confused it with the Aurelias system,’ their conversation had moved to other topics, and the rest of the date had gone so well that Hugh had almost forgotten their agreement. Until Paul stopped abruptly as they were walking back to Hugh’s temporary accommodation in Paris, in front of a store that specialised in off-world alcohol.     

“Come on,” Paul said, in a resigned tone, “I owe you one bottle of Saurian brandy, no younger than 2236.”

Hugh glanced at the store front. The only thing being advertised was an absurdly expensive bottle of Andorian whiskey. He had no doubt everything inside the store would be just as pricey. And all of a sudden, he felt bad.

“You know Paul, I feel kind of silly about this. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I won’t hold you to it.”

Paul turned to him, and took his hands solemnly. “Hugh Culber. I will _never_ have it said that I am a man who refuses to pay his debts.”

Hugh smiled at the seriousness of Paul’s voice. He smiled even wider when Paul came back out of the shop five minutes later clutching a bottle, which he presented to Hugh with a cute flourish.

Hugh laughed and took the bottle turning it around to read the label. “2234?”

Paul shrugged. “It’s a better year the 2236.”

Hugh grinned. “Something we can both agree on,” he said. Looking down at the bottle again, he continued slowly, “You know… it’s quite a big bottle. I’m not sure I can get through it all on my own. Would you maybe like to come back to my place and… share it with me?”

Paul had caught the double meaning, judging by that delightful shade of pink in his cheeks. “I mean… if you want that,” he said. “It’s only our first date so I would understand if you…”

Hugh cut him off by stepping forward into the edge of his personal space, close enough to whisper. “A first date is when you get to know someone. Would you like to get to come and... get to know me, Doctor Stamets?”

Paul leaned forwards to press his lips against Hugh’s. “Yes. I would like that very much Doctor Culber. And just for the record, I’m definitely going to win next time.”

Hugh grinned. He liked the sound of next time.

 

xxx

 

‘Next time’ turned out to be a debate over who would win the Federation presidential election. As promised, Paul won. Hugh wasn’t too disappointed. He’d wanted that guy to win anyway.

It became a game between them. Making stupid bets, just for an excuse to compete with each other. Secretly, Hugh loved it, even when he lost. He loved that he was with someone who had the same level of healthy competitiveness as him, who would give as good as he got, but who was never a sore loser. The whole world became more interesting when you had stakes in it.

 

xxx

 

“Ugh, not another.”

“Another what?” Hugh said absentmindedly from the other side of the view screen. They were spending another evening as they often did, in each other’s company even if only in a virtual sense, not even consistently conversing. Just absorbed in their own respective tasks, taking comfort in the presence of the other.

“Another message from this… Starfleet cadet. She keeps messaging me to tell me loves my work? Like I’m some kind of celebrity? Why is she still talking to me? What does she hope to get out if it?

“Maybe she’s not looking to get anything out of it? Maybe she’s just a fan?”

Paul rolled his eyes. “Scientists don’t have fans. Especially not me.”

Hugh grinned. “Now I know that’s not true. Because I am your number one fan!”

Hugh identified the look that Paul shot him as ‘Withering look #38’ in his mental catalogue of Paul’s micro expressions.  

“It’s different. This cadet isn’t trying to get into my pants. Or at least I sincerely hope not.”

“Well, why don’t you write back to her? Find out what her interest is?”

“What? No way, I’m not going to talk to someone from _Starfleet_ about my work.”

Hugh raised his eyebrows, and let that speak for itself.

Paul rolled his eyes. “You’re different. You’re not _just_ interested in me because of my work.”

“True. I’d say there are several things that _interest_ me about you dear.”

“But all this cadet wants is to use my work to further _her_ career, and I have no interest in that. So, I will be ignoring this letter like all the others, and eventually she’ll back off.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Very.”

Hugh’s eyes flashed with a spark of challenge. “Care to make it interesting?”

Paul looked up in surprise, then snorted. “Oh come on, how are you going to make a bet out of that?”

“I bet that within five years not only will she be working for you, she will also be your favourite student.”

“That’s insane. She’s in Starfleet. Why on earth would someone leave Starfleet to come and work for me?”

“The universe is a vast and unpredictable place.”

“You realise I have complete control over this right? All I have to do is _ignore her_ and eventually I’ll win by default.”

“You won’t be able to ignore her. She’s exactly your breed of hyperactive nerd. She’ll get through to you.”

“We shall see. I look forward to collecting a bottle of Saurian brandy from you in five years’ time,” Paul said with a smirk. Then, the full implication of what he’d just said dawned on him. “Wait, do you really think in five years we’ll still be…”

He stopped himself before he could say any more. Looking up, he saw Hugh smiling at him softly.

“Well,” he said, “that’s an entirely different bet I’m making.”

 

xxx

 

“Hey Lieutenant Stamets. Are you ready for the ceremony?”

Her voice sounded so kind. Sighing, Paul turned away from looking out at the Parisian skyline to face Tilly, who was approaching him with a concerned expression.

She had been like this ever since he’d come out of the network. Speaking softly around him, treating him like he was made of glass. He did appreciate it, really, but the problem with being treated like glass was the constant reminder that you could break at any moment. Maybe if everyone treated him normally, he could forget, just for a moment. Maybe.

He forced a smile. “Sure thing, Cadet-soon-to-be-Ensign Tilly.”

Tilly grinned. “I know, I can’t believe it!”

“Speaking as someone who couldn’t give less of a shit about rank, I’m proud of you Tilly.”

Tilly’s eyes got suspiciously watery. “Thank you so much. For everything. I’m just glad all those letters I wrote to you paid off! I was worried that I was annoying the hell out of you.”

“Oh you were. But you won me over. Your persistence was very hard to ignore. You know, you’re my favourite…”

He stopped mid-sentence, as the realisation of what he was saying hit him. His brain unwittingly displayed a memory. A video-conversation, one of many, that together had grown into something he could never have imagined. A bet, confidently made, and smugly accepted. And an unspoken promise. Five years.

Paul blinked, tears swimming behind his eyes, threatening to spill over. He could see Tilly, the smile falling from her face, starting to look worried. Pulling himself together, he took a deep breath.

“You’re my favourite student Tilly,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, “and also… you just lost me a bet.”

 

xxx

 

He made it through the ceremony without completely breaking down. Focussing on Michael’s speech helped, and fortunately, it was pretty damn inspirational. Afterwards, he somehow managed to dodge all his crewmates, the admirals, and the press and escape out onto the streets of Paris.

It wasn’t long before he reached his destination. The storefront appeared to have not changed at all, still advertising the same bottle of expensive Andorian whiskey. He took a deep breath and walked inside. On a whim, he bought the bottle in the window instead of the usual Saurian brandy.

Later on, in his temporary quarters, he stared at the bottle on the nightstand. Hugh's medal stood next to it, glinting in the dull light. 

“So, you were right about Tilly, but that doesn’t mean anything. No need to be so smug about it. Hey, it’s not my fault that you always seemed to understand me better than I understood myself.”

The silence seemed to settle around him like a blanket. Heavy. Oppressive. It was funny. They’d spent most of their relationship apart, getting used to loving each other from a distance. But that year spent together had been enough to make Paul addicted. Being without Hugh’s physical presence now was nothing like how it had been before. Now, Hugh wasn’t a just a video-call away. He was gone. Forever. Leaving nothing but the memory of his smile, his voice, echoing in Paul’s mind.

_That’s an entirely different bet I’m making…_

“You would have won that bet too you know. Of course, we staked a little more than a bottle of Andorian whiskey in that didn’t we? I placed my bet, I staked my heart in it, and you came through for me, but life fucking didn’t. Five years. Like that would even be close to enough time to spend with you. I would have given you every moment of the entire rest of my existence. But I can’t. Because you _died_ you _motherfucker_ and now, I can’t give you anything. I can’t give you my heart, I can’t give you my life, and I can’t give you this absurdly expensive bottle of Andorian whiskey even though I _owe you_. How could you die and _leave me in your debt_ you _asshole_?”

The bottle just sat there on the nightstand. And the silence lay mockingly around him. Paul sighed and hung his head.

“Computer,” he said tiredly, “access call archive and play all saved audio and video messages from Hugh Culber.”

It wouldn’t be enough, he knew that. But it was all he had.

 

xxx

 

Isn’t it funny how life could sometimes give you everything you ever wanted, only to pull the rug out from under you immediately after? Paul always knew life was a bitch like that.

“Here’s the last box,” Paul muttered, putting it down on the coffee table, not meeting Hugh’s eyes. All those months of refusing to pack up Hugh’s stuff, of refusing to face the pain, and now he was facing it in an entirely different way.

“Thanks,” Hugh replied. He also looked awkward, like he wanted this to be over with as quickly as possible.

Paul was trying, he really was trying to understand how the other man was feeling. But it was hard, when his own feelings were in such turmoil. He’d dreamed about Hugh coming back, he’d played through the fantasy in his head every night for _months_ , and in one of his more desperate moments he’d even _prayed_. And it had come true. Only for everything to be taken from him again. And it was especially hard knowing that it was Hugh who was hurting him this time. He knew Hugh was going through something terrible, he knew that Hugh didn’t owe him anything. But it  _hurt._

“Oh wait,” Hugh said, “this isn’t mine, I think you put it here by accident.” He pulled out the bottle of Andorian whiskey.

“Uh, actually it is yours. I bought it for you after… well you know.”

Hugh looked puzzled. “Why?”

“To settle our bet. The bet you made about Tilly, years ago. You were right, she did become my favourite student. I needed to pay the debt, even if I couldn’t give it to you. But… now I can.”

Hugh looked at Paul, then back at the bottle, something unreadable swirling behind his eyes. Paul stared at him for a long moment, trying to understand what he was thinking, feeling, trying to read Hugh the way he’d always been able to before.

“Thank you,” Hugh finally said, softly. “I’m… glad that you and Tilly have become so close. I’m glad you have someone.”

That was a very Hugh thing to say. Paul felt himself grasp onto it. But before he could respond, Hugh turned away. He picked up the box and walked towards the door.

Paul couldn’t let him go like this. Not without making sure he knew. “Hugh?” he called out.

Hugh stopped, but didn’t turn around. Paul took a deep breath.

“I know you need time and space and distance. I’ll give you anything you need, for as long as you need it. But… I haven’t given up. Not yet. I placed my bet a long time ago, and there’s no going back for me. Because… I love you. I love you.”

Hugh was silent for a few moments. Then he turned to face Paul again, that inexplicable _something_ still just behind his eyes. “I know you do Paul. And… I know _I_ do. I just can’t… feel it. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise,” Paul whispered softly. “I like that you’re honest.” Taking a step back, he cleared his throat. “I’ll be here. You know where to find me.”

Hugh just nodded and left, taking Paul’s heart with him.

Paul sighed and collapsed into the nearest chair, his face in his hands. He knew it was selfish, it was so selfish to be thinking of himself after everything Hugh had been through. Still, despite his misery at Hugh leaving, part of him couldn’t help but feel a little better. Hugh had come through for him once after all. He could do it again.

_‘He will leave you’_ a voice in his head spoke up mockingly. _‘He will leave Discovery and never come back’._

_‘Wanna bet?’_ a stronger, louder voice replied.  

End

**Author's Note:**

> Look, Paul and Hugh will 100% have a happy ending, but until then, all we have is pain...
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave kudos/comments, I eat up that shit for breakfast :) 
> 
> You can find me on twitter/tumblr @lucyisalive


End file.
